MY Gracie Lou
by Brady Guerin's Girl
Summary: A series of scenes from the movie told from Eric Matthews POV, one added scene, and a couple changes to scenes
1. The Russian Restaurant

MY Gracie Lou  
  
Summary: A series of scenes from the movie told from Eric Matthews POV. One of the scenes I made up. It's cute, I hope. This is for all of you who thought one kiss wasn't enough.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the character McGuire and the one scene that's not from the movie and the flashback scenes.  
  
Rated: PG-13 to be on the safe side.  
  
  
  
Chapter One: The Russian Restaurant  
  
* Takes place right after the feds bust in *   
  
I watch Grace Heart run over to the Russian codenamed Curly and start to perform the Heimlich maneuver. It would be comical if the situation weren't so tense. She's a skinny little thing who I had my eye on when she first joined the agency. However, I soon learned agent Grace Heart was a better man than woman. She didn't take shit from anyone and I doubt she ever combs that mess of brown hair. But she's funny and smart and a helluva good agent when she's not letting her emotions cloud her judgment. She soon became one of good friends, an ally in case things got rough.  
  
  
Curly has coughed up the peanut he was choking on and now he's holding a knife to Grace's throat. To the untrained eye this would seem like a dangerous situation from our little Grace. But to the trained eye the Russian was in more jeopardy than she is. Still I feel an unfamiliar clench at my heart. It's odd I've seen Grace in plenty of near death situations but somehow this is different. Things between us have been different since our last op together. I feel a trace of fear run through my body and suddenly I'm worried if Grace will come out of this restaurant alive.  
  
I should have listened to my first instinct. Curly has been jabbed and flipped and Grace is absolutely fine. I spot the two other Russians codenamed Moe and Larry trying to head out the back with one last look at the scene before me I rush from the dining area around the building dropping my riffle. I pick up a rather large metal garbage can and get ready to hit my target.   
  
Larry comes out first and I smash him over the head knocking him unconscious. Moe follows but I have already pulled out my handgun and both suspects are detained by my fast thinking. Only it wasn't really fast thinking. I just wanted to get out of the dining area and flea from the space where I had the fleeting feeling one of my best friends was going to die.   
  
Grace is waiting outside the restaurant's front doors for me. I saunter over after I finish handcuffing and loading up Larry and Moe. She looks upset and again I feel an unfamiliar tug at my heart.  
  
"I got Grant shot. I shouldn't have moved." Grace informs me. She looks so...guilty I can hardly stand it. I can read her like an open book and sorrow and guilt is all I see.  
  
"You made a decision, the wrong one, but that's it. It's done, it's over with." I tell her. She still looks like someone just shot her puppy. I notice MacDonald waving me over no doubt to fill out my statement and the such. I throw another look at Grace, I hate to leave her like this. So I do the only thing I know how, "By the way you look like hell." I insult her.  
As I walk away I'm sure she's making a face, her mind temporarily off the mess before her, and for that I'm grateful. I was the one to cheer her up a little and for some reason that fills me with a sense of pleasure and pride.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Checking out the contestants

Chapter Two: Checking Out The Contestants  
  
  
I stare at the screen as a picture of my self flashes on the screen. This is going to be embarrassing. The computer techie whose name I can never remember dresses me up in a rather ugly evening gown. The crowd that has gathered makes an ooooooh noise and as predicted I'm supremely embarrassed. I take it with as much dignity as possible though and stand to give a bow. However, I'm upset at the fact that I was embarrassed. So I deflect the embarrassment onto someone who's not in the room and everyone will enjoy seeing in a girlie outfit.   
  
I type furiously as I remember what Grace said about half a minute ago. Something that suggested I got what I deserved. How can she possibly think that about me? Doesn't she know I respect her more than most of the agents? She's extremely smart and I would never degrade her the way I was degrading the women prancing around on the screen. In fact, if it weren't for her I'd still be sitting on my ass trying to figure out how to start my very first op.  
  
Agent MacDonald's picture comes up on the computer and I select a bathing suit from the Dress Up Sally web page to put him in. I stop thinking about Grace's comment. As I make an ooooooh noise when the picture downloads I realize everyone has grown quite. "He's right behind me isn't he?"  
  
"Not really my color is it?" MacDonald's baritone voice questions.  
  
" Uh, sir, we were just looking for an agent to go undercover at the beauty pageant." I quickly reply hoping to spare myself another embarrassing moment in front of Grace.  
  
"And I'm the best we've got? Doesn't inspire much hope does it? Get back to work and Heart shouldn't you be behind a desk?" MacDonald leaves in the same quiet manner he had entered in. His words and tone had made an impact on everyone still there.  
  
  
"Yes, sir." Grace tells him before he leaves. I walk over to her. Standing close I ask "What's the matter with you people he's standing right behind me and you don't say anything?"  
  
  
"What? I got eyes in the back of my head?" Grace's eyes bore into mine and I get the feeling she's mad at me. And I think I know why. Last night I had approached her before a date. She had congratulated me on getting my own op and invited me to join her. Once again to the untrained eye this seemed like a totally normal exchange between two close friends. It wasn't, there was something behind Grace's eyes that you had to search to see. She wanted to spend time alone with me and I knew that but it scared me. I was glad my little, blonde, college student was there to distract me. I know Grace doesn't think I heard her making fun of my date but I did and the disdain for the younger, curvier, woman was written plainly on her face for the whole world to see when she talked to my date.  
  
"He was right behind me." I plead with her trying to get her mind off Bev and back to the current crisis.  
  
"What were you gonna say?" She challenges me right back. I should have known. Grace Heart does not back down from a fight.  
  
"What about this one?" the computer techie asked pulling Grace and I from out staring contest.  
  
"You kiddin' that's Heart." I tell him. NO WAY am I letting Grace take this position. She's too special to me and this is one dangerous mission with the Citizen involved. I look at the screen again.   
  
  
"Turn it off." Grace complains obviously perturbed that the lab techie had the balls to put her picture on the screen.  
  
  
"Hold on a second, that's not bad." I say a little stunned as I continue looking at the screen.  
  
  
"You better hit the save button 'cause your never seein' that again." Grace answers immediately as my mind entertains the possibility of letting her go. I don't want her to but DAMN she looked good in that bathing suit. For the first time since I met Grace I got to see the curves she hid underneath those baggy clothes. She was the right height and weight and she definitely had the body type to do this. I look at her pleadingly.  
  
"No, turn it off." She walks out of the room and I'm still staring at her on the computer screen. Suddenly the kind of thoughts I used to have about agent Heart are beginning to come back. I notice the other guys in the room are giving her appreciative stares, especially the computer techie. A new type of feeling floods over me and I make the guys leave and stay until the lab techie turns the program off. I don't want anyone staring at Grace like that but me. It was normal to feel that way about your best girl friend, right? Except, I hadn't really been thinking of Grace like a friend lately, not since that last op.   
  



	3. The Training Room

  
Disclaimer: Okay I don't own the actual scenes or dialogue from Miss Congeniality but I do own the extensions to the scenes and the character McGuire.  
  
A.N. I went back and put the exact dialogue from the movie in the first two chapters if you want to back and reread, otherwise enjoy.  
  
  
Chapter Three: The Training Room  
  
  
I saunter into the FBI training room and make my way over to Grace. She's wrathfully attacking a dummy. More specifically she's about to take its head off and I only hope she isn't pretending that dummy is me. I'm not quite sure how to start this conversation or ask her to do this for me so I decide on the direct approach. Lining myself up to the dummy so at one point at least she'll have to look at me I say "Whaddya say Heart?"  
  
Angrily she continues her tirade on the defenseless dummy, "No freakin' way."  
  
I can see this is going to be harder than I expected. "Come on Sparky, why not?" I add a sweet tone to my voice to help convince her. It doesn't seem to be working.  
  
Her attack on the dummy seems to worsen the closer I get to it and in a sarcastic voice she answers me "Because I'm not gonna parade around in a swimsuit like some airhead bimbo that, what, goes by the name Gracie Lou Freebush and all she wants is world peace."  
  
Okay so being nice didn't work, not like it ever did with her. What would get to Grace? I've got it, she always wants to feel like she's part of the team. "It wouldn't be like that. Come on, you'd be an important member of the undercover team."  
  
She's definitely not buying it. "Yeah right. In a thong." Grace kicks the head of the dummy and narrowly misses hitting me. I'm not naïve enough to believe that was an accident so I move.   
  
  
I circle behind he and lean in. She doesn't exactly have the best smell radiating off her but I never mind getting close to her. "Hey! In a tasteful one piece. Come on, you do a few butt shaping exercises," I lightly slap her ass, it's a nice ass, "tighten this up. You could pull this off."  
  
"Pull this off." Grace pulls me into a headlock. I feel like a huge pervert because I'm actually getting off on this. I mean I have a great view of the chest. She hides it way too much. "What, is it because MacDonald hates me?"  
  
"He doesn't hate you." I try to reassure her and get out of this strong grip she has on me. I never really noticed how muscular her arms are until now.  
  
"What is it some kind of woman thing?" Grace asks me. I don't answer right away. Instead I flip her forward down to the mats.  
  
I lean over her and prepare to lie. "Don't kid yaself. No one thinks of you that way." That's a total and utter lie. A lot of the guys have talked about her in the locker room. And I myself have spent excessive time thinking about what she's hiding under her clothes.  
  
Grace grabs my arm and forces me to the ground so she's on top of me. Once again I feel like a total sicko as this reminds me of the kinky things we could do at my place sometime. "He's punishing me isn't he?"  
  
I decide to level with her. "Listen I had to beg him to let you do this."  
  
"What?!?" I can hear the surprise in her voice and realize I have something to bargain with now.  
  
"Yeah, that's right. Like it or not you screwed up pal." I know quilting her into doing this is kind of sleazy but I really need her help. Besides if she doesn't come with me she'll be stuck here with McGuire and I CANT let that happen.  
  
We roll over one another until we're at the corner of the mat. She flips me over herself and then forcefully pushes me down. Grace straddles her legs around my neck. I kick and flounder around afraid if we don't end this little training session soon she'll realize my comment earlier about her not being seen as a woman isn't true.  
  
"This may come as a shock to you but I've never been in a beauty pageant. I don't even own a dress. I don't even own a brush." Her guard is down as she flails her arms in the air to make to make her point.  
  
I take this opportunity to wrap my legs around her chest and push her body down. I really need to get out of here. "Which part of that is supposed to shock me?" I try to fool myself into thinking if we argue like friends then we are nothing more than friends.  
  
She squeezes her legs that are still around my neck and we fall to the side. By now there is a rather large crowd gathered around us. "Alright, let's suspend reality for like a second and pretend I said yes. Your sayin' I have to do everything, like the makeup, the whole big hair thing and the..."  
  
I don't give her a chance to finish the sentence, as I know I already have her hook, line, and sinker. Plus the way her voice sounded all smushed like was getting on my nerves. " Damn right, the spinning, the twirling, the smiling, the cute little tap number." I dance my fingers about an inch and a half below her waist. She smacks my hand away as predicted.  
  
"Hey, hey." She squeezes her legs and gets up to elbow drop me. She puts me into another headlock. I grab Grace from behind and flip her forward. She's panting heavily from the work out on the floor. In my mind she's panting from something entirely different. I need out NOW.  
  
"So your sayin' I HAVE to wear the bathing suit?" she asks between breaths.  
  
"Yeah, you have to wear the bathing suit." I tell her as I lean over her once again. She really is beautiful.  
  
"Okay." She tells me and kicks my legs out from underneath me. I forgot the golden rule, never do the victory dance before you opponent is secured. "Well, where am I gonna put my gun?"  
  
This question catches me off guard. I definitely hadn't expected that. In fact I thought id be in the locker room by now. In a nice cold shower. "No place I wanna know." I tell her. Great, I've lied to her twice with in 20 minutes. I slap her ass again. Well at least that makes me feel slightly better.   



	4. Gracie Lou Freebush

A.N. thank you all so much for reviewing! I'm so happy you liked it, after all this is my first fanfic. Well...that I've posted anyway. Sorry it's taken so long to update, I hate it when people don't update. Oh, I'm assuming their office is in D.C. because they obviously weren't in Texas at the beginning of the movieand Grace says the citizens always been in their jurisdiction.  
  
  
Chapter Four: Gracie Lou Freebush  
  
  
So I've spent the past twenty-four hours basically watching others in their element. Something I have very little knowledge of. When Grace and I first met Vic, I thought, oh great this sarcastic, disdain filled man is the one who we are single handedly counting on to make Grace look real? My problem being he didn't like Grace and he had embarrassed me in front of her by hitting on me. Or at least I think he was hitting on me. Not the point, the point is I really needed to trust this man. The other agents and I got in a few jokes about the facemasks and hair foil and everything but I was still worried. I knew Grace was beautiful, I would always think she was beautiful, but I needed America to see her beauty as well.  
  
I'm pacing around in front of the aircraft hanger waiting for Grace and Vic wondering what's taking so long. The last time it took this long for Grace to get ready for anything had been on our last op together. I try not to think about it and yet its hard not to. Grace and I have been working together for close to six years now. While we both work in the field we are rarely put in the same unit. The last time we were it was four months ago.  
  
There was a serial killer going around clubs in the D.C. area raping and killing girls 17-24 with a certain physical description. When they were found they were always wearing black pants and a blue t-shirt. Grace and MacDonald's nephew McGuire had gone undercover to a club called Ecstasy. I had been working the surveillance room. McGuire and Grace had to act like a couple, the whole nine yards. I thought it was going to be like any other op with exception of getting to work with my best friend.  
  
It had been about two hours and I was the only one left awake in the hotel room across the street from the club. They had shown up at 2A.M. because the killer struck between 2 and 5 A.M. There was still no show on our suspect. I had been staring at the screen intently the whole night. McGuire had been kissing Grace's neck and holding onto her waist and running his fingers as best he could through her hair and holding her close when they slow danced. It had made me fiercely jealous to the point where I wanted to run across the street and switch spots with McGuire.   
  
And, God, had Grace looked beautiful. Her black slacks weren't super tight the way I liked but they weren't baggy either, they hugged her in all the right places as she moved. The baby blue t-shirt behaved in the same way. And for once she had left her hair down and around her face that was sans makeup. I could tell McGuire was having the same thoughts as me about the outfit because before he left he said, "I'm going to like working with you Gracie."  
  
That was the first time Heart told me she hated the name Gracie. The op had been a bust but our neighboring team had caught the bad guy. After that, Grace started hanging out with McGuire and rumor was they had gone out a couple times but things hadn't worked out. I know for a fact it wasn't he who called it off as he still pursues her. Even after I told him I'd kill him if she complained just once more about him.  
  
I look at my watch again and the door to the hanger open. A crowd of about 150 pink clad technicians come out and part like the red sea. And then I see her. She's gorgeous. My mind clears of all thoughts except for her. My world slows down into slow motion and it's just her and me. She's doing a slow, sexy walk and for a moment I allow myself to believe it's for me. I've NEVER seen anyone as beautiful as her.  
  
"Heart, is that you?" I ask. Basically refusing to believe my eyes but not wanting to seem to eager.  
  
"I am in a dress, I have gel in my hair, I haven't slept all night, I'm starved and I am armed. Don't mess with me." She replies obviously in a bad mood. She trips in the unfamiliar shoes. But I don't even get close to laughing. I'm still reeling from the vision before me.  
  
"Oh, yeah, that's her. Mr. Vic, nice work!" I tell the man who is now my idol. I don't wait for his reply as I chase after Grace.   



	5. Phone Call

A.N. Sorry I haven't updated, I fear I'm becoming one of those annoying people that never update. SOOOOO sorry. Won't let it happen again. My best friend will kick my ass. Been busy, hope to finish before vacay; I'll be gone two weeks! Thanks for being patient, love you all. By the way, this is my added scene.  
  
  
  
Chapter Five: Phone Call  
  
I walk into the hotel where my unit and I are staying and I notice someone standing in the dark corners of the lobby. Immediately my hand flies to the handgun attached to my waist. I draw closer as quietly as I can, keeping to the shadows. I can tell the figure is on a cell phone talking quietly to someone else.  
  
A million thoughts race through my mind. At first I think it is the citizen; that he's found out the FBI id here and is plotting away with an accomplice. Then I think it's just some random terrorist who's plotting against the pageant, these things get a lot of threats. It may just be someone looking for some privacy while they make a call. But I can't run that risk knowing it could very well be the man I'm looking for.  
  
  
I draw as close as I can get without being seen. The shadow of a figure paces back and forth. The person is fixedly talking to the person on the other end of the line. As far as I can tell things are not going well. The figure's voice raises and I recognize it as female. A very familiar tone about that voice haunts me.  
  
I tuck and roll behind the large green couch. The caller is right on the other side. She's listening so I check my watch, 2:13A.M. Somebody definitely up to something, no one would be up this early at a hotel without an agenda. The woman sits on the couch and I can feel the light pressure of her body pressed up against my back on the other side.  
  
"Alright!", she hisses into the cell, "I got it covered. No worries!"  
  
GRACE?!? It can't be. What would Grace be doing prowling around my hotel this early in the morning? I must be mistaken.  
  
"Suddenly you have no confidence in me? I thought you 'trusted me with your life'?" the woman continued. The more I hear the less the possibility it's someone else becomes possible.  
  
"Look, McGuire, I am not messing around with you. We'll sort out the details when I get back, until then chill. Keep your uncle calm. I got work to do and I don't want him messing it up." There's something gruff about her tone that I don't like. Something I've never heard before.  
  
  
"I am not saying it. Never......because it's not true......you know it......fine! I LOVE YOU. Happy? Good, I have to go." Grace flips her phone shut and storms off toward my room.  
  
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. What just happened?   



	6. Talentless

  
Chapter Six: Talentless  
  
I'm standing by the catered table thinking about what I heard last night. It can't be what I'm thinking it is, can it? There's no way Grace would betray me or our unit, is there? No, there just HAS to be another explanation.   
  
Speaking of Grace, I'm watching her walk up and down this ridiculous staircase as Vic instructs her how to do it right. She looks gorgeous as always in a blue evening gown with diamond like rhinestones all over the edges. I laugh as I watch her hand over her assorted guns and weaponry to a surprised Vic. He isn't the only surprised one, I never knew she could fit so much in such a tiny space.  
  
Suddenly Vic is walking, more like storming over to me. "Agent Matthews, this woman has no talent!" he proclaims.  
  
"Gee Vic, you don't gotta shout it out right in front of her." I counter, a little offended for Grace. Until I remember her phone call, what WAS that about?  
  
"I was not told to provide a talent and I am certainly not equipped to do so in the next five hours." He continues as Grace tries to sneak a doughnut and he pulls it away, replacing it with a carrot. She looks upset but right now I can't worry about that.  
  
"Wait, what the hell are you talking about?" this could definitely put a damper on things, especially that promotion I was looking for.  
  
"I am saying that tomorrow she'll be on stage with nothing to do but convert oxygen into carbon dioxide." Vic is fervent about this topic and it's starting to piss me off but I don't want to lose my temper in front of Grace.  
  
"Hey you said you couldn't make her beautiful in two days and look at her now. Look at how gorgeous she is. I mean compared to the car wreck she was before." The fleeting smile on Grace's face is what makes me add that last part. It's okay for me to be into her and know I have no chance. But if I think I have a chance, if she keeps smiling at me like that, then I might do something stupid.  
  
"My duties are clearly stated in the contract and I have fulfilled them all." Vic's persistence is quite annoying.   
  
"Listen you talent her up by tomorrow morning or else.." I begin to threaten. 'Make no mistake Mr. Vic I am the one in charge' I think.  
  
"Are you threatening me?" Vic sounds somewhat shocked.  
  
"Listen to me you old fruitcake..." I start again 'I am calling the shots'  
  
"How dare you ..you cupcake!" he threatens right back, we are up in each others faces at this point.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey, time out, time out you guys. There's something I know how to do. I haven't done it since high school but it's kinda like riding a bike." Grace interrupts to stop the argument.  
  
"You ARE NOT having sex on this stage!" Vic informs her as I think to myself 'I volunteer to help!' No, no, no I cannot be having those thoughts anymore. Not after I heard that phone call.  
  
"I didn't know that was an option, alright? Look, this thing, I just gotta call room service for, okay?" Grace tells him heading off toward the dressing rooms.  
  
"Miss Heart, please" Vic stops her and she pulls a chocolate covered doughnut from her dress, I didn't even notice her put it there. "thank you and the other one." She pulls a jelly filled doughnut out as well. "Thank you."  
  
Grace begins to walk away again when one of the guys from the kanine unit comes by. His Doberman sniffs Grace and she pulls out yet another doughnut. "Alright, alright, alright, alright. I hope your happy you doughnut nazi." She mutters as she does so. Finally able to walk away.   



	7. Walk Home

Chapter Seven: Walk Home  
  
We're walking side by side back to Grace's hotel room and I'm dying to tell ask her about that phone call. What did it MEAN? Why did she tell McGuire she loved him? I have to admit only a small portion of my thoughts are focused on that. Most are focused on the flimsy nightgown she's wearing.  
  
"Did I tell you Stan Fields was getting fired?" Grace asks yawning.  
  
"I'm on it. Look, jus' concentrate on being Gracie Lou, alright?" I tell her. It's obvious she's beat and I don't want her worrying too much right now. What she needs is rest.  
  
"Mmm-hmm." She sighs back. Grace is about to fall asleep any second.  
  
I figure she won't really remember this conversation seeing as she's so tired so I decide to step out on a limb. "And by the way, your doin' a great job. I thought the evening gown looked..... I totally bought it." I hold my breath.  
  
"I know you think I'm gorgeous." Apparently she's more awake than I thought.  
  
"What?!? Phh. I don't think you're gorgeous." I try to recover my rapidly bruising ego. I didn't think she'd take my complement as a joke and I most certainly didn't think she'd respond at all or remember this tomorrow.  
  
"You think I'm gorgeous, you want to kiss me, you want to hug me." Grace begins singing, swaying a little to her made up tune.  
  
I try to interrupt by saying, "I think MacDonald is more feminine, I'd rather kiss him." Either she didn't hear me or is choosing to ignore me. The least I had hoped to accomplish was for her to stop singing, no such luck.  
  
"You want to love me, you want to hug me, you want to smooch me." she continues sing-songing.  
  
So I do the only thing I know how. It's the only tried and true way of getting a woman to shut up. I step up real close to her and look down as if I'm about to kiss her. She gets quiet and my plan has worked only it hasn't. It back fired right in my face. Now that I'm this close I don't want to move away. I WANT to kiss her and hug her and smooch her and all the other ridiculous things in her song. But I can't, it would be too awkward to work together afterward if I did. So I stand there for a split second entertaining the thought of kissing her before I pull my Milky Way up to my mouth to take a bite. Somehow it doesn't taste as good as I imagine she would.  



	8. Insomnia, Nosy Roomates, and Tiny Equpim...

A.N. Okay, once again THANK YOU for all the reviews. They really inspire me to write more and more!!! Concerning Eric's candy bar choice, I went back and watched the movie again today and I can't tell if it's a Milky Way or Snickers so... whatever you want it to be. Also, this chapter is going to be posted with the much-anticipated POOL scene. Also the final words Eric hears are actually in the movie, listen for them.  
  
  
Chapter Eight: Insomnia, Nosy Roommates, and Tiny Equipment  
  
I'm standing in my hotel room conferring with a few colleagues about the preparations for the Alamo. I can see someone watching the screen, which shows what Grace is doing, intently. I myself am watching it discreetly as I talk. The preps are all done and checked twice so I make my way closer to the screen. I can hear people talking now.  
  
"I saw that gentleman stop by the room last night." Mary Jo, a.k.a. Miss Texas, was saying with a mischievous look on her pretty face. The man closet to the screen turns and makes eye contact with me before he turns his attention to the situation unfolding before him.  
  
  
Another girl I can't see comments "Gentleman?" Oh shit, they caught us!  
  
Mary Jo continues like a hawk swooping in on its prey, slowly circling Grace, a victorious smile on her face. It's almost as if she has won a big race but I know Grace and I know this won't slow her down, a minor setback maybe. But she was always good at thinking on her toes. "Uh-huh" Mary Jo's voice is even dripping with power.  
  
Miss Hawaii steps into the conversation. "That's not allowed. No men in the room." She says haughtily.  
  
"Oh but things are different here on the mainland five-oh" Miss New York inserts with as much attitude as possible.  
  
I walk over to the screen surprised to see worry crease Grace's flawless complexion. Another contestant steps up to defend my Grace. "Now hold on ladies, let's just hear her side of the story. Are you sleepin' with a judge?"  
  
Grace's face relaxes into a laugh and a giant weight is lifted off my chest. Wait, did I just think of Grace as mine? "Oh, oh THAT guy. No, no, I...I...I...I was dating him for a little while because he told me he had an incurable disease."  
  
Oooo's fill both rooms as both parties feel sympathy toward me, however the sympathy was different from both sides. "Yeah, yeah I...I...I didn't realize it was stupidity." Grace continues and now laughter erupts from both rooms.  
  
I have to laugh to and say out loud, "Alright." Willing her to be quiet so I can sort out why I am now referring to Grace as mine, at least to myself. However, she did not hear my silent plea.  
  
"He is such a pathetic loser. It's like I'm sorry he's obsesses with me but at some point it's like 'hello, move on, get over yaself' Ya know?" She continues rewarded with hearty laughs on both ends. That is except for me. The smile on my face is fake as is my laugh. Her words stung even though she meant them as a joke. I realize now that I do have unavoidable feelings for my best friend and I need to discuss this with her, SOON.  
  
"I mean his ego is like this big." Grace is saying holding her arms far apart. She changes the tone in her voice and continues with her fingers a small distance apart, "but his equipment is like this big."  
  
I laugh again for good measure, extremely affected by her callous words. "Good cover. Yeah, we worked that out together." I add the last part because I'm starting to receive strange looks. I turn away from the screen hoping the old cliché, out of sight out of mind, holds true. It doesn't I can still hear her talking as I tell my unit, "Alright, back to work. Get ready for the Alamo. Break it up."  
  
I watch everyone walk out as her final words echo in my ears, "Yeah it got to the point where it was like sucking on a needle." Sure it was a joke but sometimes words hurt more than anything.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. Confessions

A.N. Here it is, the POOL scene. Hope I don't disappoint.  
  
Chapter Nine: Confessions  
  
I'm swimming as if my life depended on it. Back and forth, back and forth, that's all I can concentrate on. If I even let one of the thoughts that threatens to break down my invisible concentration wall through then it's all over. I try to out swim them to no avail. So I give in and my fragile psyche is bombarded with words that sting and threaten to make me actually cry. Angry, jealous, cell phone, beautiful, fired, anti-tobacco, Grace, lust, yearn, taken, McGuire, failure, MacDonald. The words past faster and faster until I feel something come in contact with the back of my head. Startled I stop swimming and I see beautiful, innocent Grace standing by the pool. Her face is a ten-car pile up of emotions.  
  
"Just wanted to let you know I was quittin', alright? Take care." She says most of the emotions disappearing into determination.  
  
"Hold on a second, wait a minute. Whaddaya mean your quittin'?" I ask still dazes by the vision she is in that pink dress. Most people would find it unappealing on her but she could wear anything and I would still think she looked divine. My mind grasps the concept she is quitting and I panic.  
  
"I mean you got the wrong girl, alright?" Her features have turned angry and I'm amazed that she does what she does with such an expressive face. I smile inwardly as I realize I'm probably one of the very few people who have ever seen her be so expressive. Has McGuire ever seen her like this? The thought makes me angry and I remember Grace's phone call. We HAVE to talk about that.  
  
"Heart I do not need this now." I tell her trying to make her understand that I mean that on more than one level. Yes, it would be a pain in the ass replacing her now but to have all these feelings crop up on my very first op by myself is also something I don't need. Not that I regret falling for Grace because that's what I'm doing. I'm falling in love with my best friend.  
  
"I know you don't need this right now that is what I'm sayin' alright? I'm totally screwin' up in there. I don't even feel like a real agent anymore. I mean Vic say this thing that's so...agh! You know, I don't care what he said, I don't care what he said. I just I...I...I don't care, ya know because I am the job and I'm okay with that. I mean you're the job." Grace rants pacing. She reminds me of a young girl complaining to her best friend that her date called to cancel and how it doesn't matter because she never really wanted to go anyway. And you just know that she did because of the way she's overanalyzing the situation and I makes you smile to yourself when she's not looking. I know Grace wanted to do this deep down, I just know. Having two younger sisters I know how to handle a situation like this.  
  
"Yeah, I'm the job." You just have to agree sometimes.  
  
"Right, right." Grace seems frustrated and sits looking torn about how she really feels yet needing to rant more.  
  
"We're all the job." I coax her hoping to provoke a less intense reaction than the last time I said something. She seems to be calming down which is a great relief to me and I relax slightly.  
  
"You're the job so then what's wrong with me? I date. I go on dates. I know, I know everyone thinks I haven't had a date in about ten years. Is that, is that what you think?" Grace fumes taking her rage and frustration out on me. I don't mind. It's times like these that I thank Lucy and Jamie, my sisters. Had it not been for the million and one rants I had been subjected to hearing as they grew up I might not know what to do. But I do and snottily think McGuire would have No idea what to say to her. He'd probably say everything all wrong and she'd hate him forever.  
  
"No, I think you date." I soothe. In fact, I know you date Gracie Lou. The office was on fire with gossip when you and McGuire went out. Note to self, check with secretary to see if any rumors about myself are going around.   
  
"Damn right I do." Grace's face is locked in utter determination and I realize she never had anyone to rant to before. She's never really had any friends and to rant stuff like this to your parents is useless. She has no siblings. Suddenly I want to reach out and hold her in my arms and give her all the childhood memories and experiences she should have had. "But you know both times it was totally screwed up. You know, I don't even care. All I want to do is my job and for the last three days I feel like I'm completely lost."  
  
I feel bad that acting like a real woman hurts her. That she feels she can't even do something as basic as that right. I know she saw this op as a way to show MacDonald that what happened at the Russian restaurant was a fluke, a freak accident. But she can't do that if wearing a dress and heels like normal women is too much for her. I again want to rush over there and wrap my arms around her and never, ever let go. To comfort her like no one but myself could. Insecurity creeps into the back of my mind, ,maybe McGuire could comfort her too. "Heart, listen to me. I have been waiting five years for my own op. Do you really think I'd blow it on the wrong girl?" that seemed like the perfect thing to say.  
  
"No, no, no I know the only reason you picked me is because I'm the only one who looked half decent in a bikini and wasn't on maternity leave." Self-doubt is so clearly written across my Grace's face that I barely recognize her. This overwhelming feeling of sadness rushes over me like a tidal wave. I figure the only thing left to do was something I really didn't want to do right now.  
  
"No, that's why they let me pick you. Do you wanna know why I picked you?" I was going to have to do it. Now or never.  
  
"Lost a bet?" Grace half heartedly guessed.  
  
"Because your smart. Because you don't take any crap from people. Your funny, your easy to talk to when your not armed. Give yourself a break. Cut Vic and the other pageant ladies some slack because if they ever get a chance to see what I see then their gonna love you." I say hesitantly. I HATE baring my soul to anyone but if it's what Grace needs then I'm more than ready to try it. Anything for Grace. "So whaddya say?"  
  
Grace appears to think it over. Settling on a decision I hold my breathe as she speaks, "Alright, I won't let you down."  
  
I can't stop the smile from forming on my face. I keep my voice authoritive as I speak so to bring up her self esteem. "Good. That's what I wanna hear."  
  
"I mean in all honesty I might let you down but I'ma I'ma try not to." She tells me smiling herself and I melt. I am sooo ecstatic that she let me help her, that I succeeded, that my Grace was staying with me. I think she needed to hear what was in my heart because I truly believe she's never been told what a wonderful person she is before. I love that I could be the on be to show her that. I toss a taunting look her way and she tosses out her arm to stop me as a laugh passes through my lips.  
  
"Eh! Do not mess with the dress." She informs me as I pull her into the pool with me. She comes up looking like a gorgeous mermaid-like misfit. "OOOOOH, Vic is gona Kiiiill you!"  
  
"What?" I ask innocently. She gives me a dirty look and I figure out its because she's cold and the dress must weigh a ton now that its wet.  
  
"You in big trouble." She spits the words out at me. Slight amusement tempting to show in her eyes.  
  
"What? You fell." I tell her expecting she'll get I mean that should be her excuse. Now that the drama is over I'm feeling playful and I want Grace to benefit from that.  
  
"Big trouble." Is all she says as a response making her way over to the edge of the pool.  
  
"You actually...you look good wet." I try luring her back with a compliment. Judging from the death stare I get she's not buying it. I mean it though. Someday I'll let her know how I feel but first we need to clear up this McGuire issue.  
  
"Shut up!" Grace snaps at me a smile on her face and I know she gets the compliment was sincere.  
  
**********( this is an extension to this scene)***********   
  
I grab Grace's arm before she gets out of the pool. "Wait there's something I want to ask you."  
  
Intrigued she turns and looks at me. "Hold on." She pulls the rubber band out of her hair and goes underwater and smoothes her hair down emerging like some supermodel or a character on a day -time soap opera. She tilts her head ready to listen fastening the rubber band in a low loss ponytail behind her head. "Go ahead." She instructs.  
  
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. Why is this so hard? I just have to admit I happen to be in the lobby when she was on the phone with McGuire. She'll understand, won't she? "I..uh.. wanted to ask you...." I draw in a deep breath and say it "have you talked to McGuire lately?"  
  
A perplexed expression muddles up her face and she stares at me curiously. "As a matter of fact, yes. The first day we got here. Why?"  
  
Because I'm insanely jealous. "Because I...lost his new cell number and I need authorization on something." I am a wuss, a HUGE wuss.   
  
"Oh, well I'll give it to you tomorrow. Is that all? You look like you want to say something else." She asks concern replacing her previous expression.  
  
"No that's it. Goodnight Gracie Lou." I tell stepping closer to help her up onto the cement surrounding the pool. I place my hands on her hips and in one swift move she's sitting on the pool edge.  
  
"Goodnight Eric." She whispers in my ear. When I lifted her, her body had been pressed close to mine, close enough for her to whisper in my ear. My whole body shivered from the gentle touch of her cheek to my own. She sat back smiled and got up to go to her room.   



	10. Candy Dishes

A.N. Okay peeps sorry this took so long to update but I was busy getting ready for vaycay and going to work and going to behind the wheel drivers training. Anyway no excuses right? So I'm writing this ONJ THE ROAD cuz I love you all so much and I'm such a kind person. Actually I'm bored out of my mind in this car. Anyway, I'll post this as soon as possible.  
  
  
  
Chapter Ten: Candy Dishes  
  
I'm standing in my hotel room filled with agents, mostly male. In fact there is only one female and I realize it must be hard for Grace to survive in a job like this where the male to female ratio is so large. Someone shouts, "She's in the dressing room!"  
  
I can hear what Grace is saying but I have other things to take care of right now. I'm discussing the final preps for surveillance for the final pageant. The techie seems to know what he's talking about even though he's new. I congratulate him on a job well done on his first op and he smiles a huge smile of self-satisfaction.  
  
"Those better be candy dishes." Grace's voice lofts over to my ears. Candy dishes? What the hell is she talking about? Isn't she getting ready for the swimsuit competition?  
  
"Turn around. Open." Vic's voice says. Now I'm immensely curious as to what the hell is going on. I start to make my way over to where a large crowd has formed.  
  
"Oh, there she is! This guy is like an inch away from death." One of the agents running surveillance says.  
  
"Oh, but what a way to go!" Another idiot yells. My blood is burning with a rage I am unfamiliar with. Most of the girls I sleep with or "date" I don't feel attached to or feel certain protectiveness over. Not like I feel about Grace. Grace is special, she's so unique. She's like that rare jewel you find and you know you just have to have it. She's the pearl in an oyster. Tough on the outside but absolutely beautiful on the inside.   
  
I'm walking through the crowd as I say, "Hey, chumps, break it up, nothin' to see."  
  
"Whaddya mean?" Someone in the crowd throws the question out. I'm standing in front of the T.V. by now.  
  
"Break it up, break it up. She's a federal agent. Come on give her a break." I refuse to let anyone see my Grace and I remember our conversation from the night before. She really does deserve the respect these idiots refuse to give her. So I'll give it to her, at least it's someone right?  



	11. Candy Dishes

A.N. Okay peeps sorry this took so long to update but I was busy getting ready for vaycay and going to work and going to behind the wheel drivers training. Anyway no excuses right? So I'm writing this ONJ THE ROAD cuz I love you all so much and I'm such a kind person. Actually I'm bored out of my mind in this car. Anyway, I'll post this as soon as possible.  
  
  
  
Chapter Ten: Candy Dishes  
  
I'm standing in my hotel room filled with agents, mostly male. In fact there is only one female and I realize it must be hard for Grace to survive in a job like this where the male to female ratio is so large. Someone shouts, "She's in the dressing room!"  
  
I can hear what Grace is saying but I have other things to take care of right now. I'm discussing the final preps for surveillance for the final pageant. The techie seems to know what he's talking about even though he's new. I congratulate him on a job well done on his first op and he smiles a huge smile of self-satisfaction.  
  
"Those better be candy dishes." Grace's voice lofts over to my ears. Candy dishes? What the hell is she talking about? Isn't she getting ready for the swimsuit competition?  
  
"Turn around. Open." Vic's voice says. Now I'm immensely curious as to what the hell is going on. I start to make my way over to where a large crowd has formed.  
  
"Oh, there she is! This guy is like an inch away from death." One of the agents running surveillance says.  
  
"Oh, but what a way to go!" Another idiot yells. My blood is burning with a rage I am unfamiliar with. Most of the girls I sleep with or "date" I don't feel attached to or feel certain protectiveness over. Not like I feel about Grace. Grace is special, she's so unique. She's like that rare jewel you find and you know you just have to have it. She's the pearl in an oyster. Tough on the outside but absolutely beautiful on the inside.   
  
I'm walking through the crowd as I say, "Hey, chumps, break it up, nothin' to see."  
  
"Whaddya mean?" Someone in the crowd throws the question out. I'm standing in front of the T.V. by now.  
  
"Break it up, break it up. She's a federal agent. Come on give her a break." I refuse to let anyone see my Grace and I remember our conversation from the night before. She really does deserve the respect these idiots refuse to give her. So I'll give it to her, at least it's someone right?  



	12. Girl TAlk

Chapter Eleven: Girl Talk  
  
Grace is wearing this evening gown that really does nothing for her curves, leaves everything to the imagination. But I don't mind I have a BIG imagination. 'Concentrate Eric' I mentally berate myself. Grace has taken off up the stairs and Vic and I follow. Things aren't going too well with this Cheryl accusation. So I try to say something not-so-accusatory. "Maybe she's totally innocent, that's what you gotta find out."  
  
Grace shoots me a of-course-she's -innocent look and I know I'm in deep shit with her for offending a friend of hers. I should have known to take this delicately but I'm crunched for time and I want her to hurt a little so she knows how I feel inside about this McGuire thing. "How?" she snaps.  
  
Shit, how IS she suppose to get it outta her? Oh, well that's for Grace to figure out. My retort is not delayed in any case. "I don't know coax it outta her. Buddy up to her. You know girl talk."  
  
The concept is lost on Grace as her eyes seem to ask me what I'm talking about. "Girl talk?" she verbalizes her thoughts.  
  
"Yes, girl talk." Vic, at least, is on my side. He know what it is like to have to deal with Grace's stubbornness. We make a silent agreement to gang up on her.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm drawing a blank." Grace looks frustrated and angry with me for suggesting her and Cheryl weren't buddies already. Mostly I think she's pissed because Vic and I are ganging up on her.  
  
"Leg walking, fake orgasms, the inability of men to commit." Vic tries to explain. I can see he's being incredibly patient with her and for that I'm grateful. Once again I feel that pang of sadness that Grace has never had girl talk with anyone.   
  
"Why don't you go talk to her." She's being stubborn and refusing to admit this girl she knows could do something so horrible.   
  
Her stubbornness is starting to piss me off. And I should be pissed off at her. She lied to me after all. She told me a long time ago that her and McGuire were through as a couple and here she was making secret phone calls to him in the middle of the night. She definitely was neglecting to tell me something. But then again I had been spying on her. I hate my conscience. "Just imagine she's me and there's something you wanna know but I don't wanna talk about it. What would you do?" The words are flying out of my mouth before I realize the weight they carry. The exact thing was happening. There was something I wanted to know but she didn't want to talk about it.   
  
"You want me to beat it out of her?" Grace asks with a knowing glint in her eye. She's telling me she wants to beat my crappy mood out of me. Oh well she was just going to have to deal.  
  
I turn to Vic knowing if I ask him to do her job she'd be too pissed to refuse to do a little girl talk. I'd essentially be telling her I thought she couldn't do her job. So I went in for the kill knowing how insecure she was about her job. "Why don't you go talk to her."  
  
"You know what? Forget about it, I will go." Grace gives in and in the process takes out her earpiece.   
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doin'? Put that back in your ear." I say angry that she thinks she can get away with breaking protocol just because she has to do something she doesn't want to.  
  
"I can't talk girl talk with a guy in my head. I even can't do it with me in my head." She explains and proceeds to stretch out. As if to say this job was comparable to running a ten-mile marathon. She pushes up her breasts and for an instant I am jealous of her hands but that quickly passes. "Girl talk she mutters."  
  
She walks away and I feel the loss of her. I am in WAY over my head if I feel lonely without her even when we're fighting.  
  
  



	13. That Damn Rule Book

A.N. I didn't want to write out all of Gracie and MacDonald's argument so I skipped it and made the one scene into two.  
  
  
Chapter Thirteen: That Damn Rule Book.  
  
Grace and MacDonald are arguing and I just can't take her getting ripped into like this especially since some of her arguments are plausible. I think MacDonald is just letting his contempt for her cloud his judgment. I slowly walk up next to her and wait for a break in the conversation. When my opportunity comes I quietly say, "Would you just shut up."  
  
"Why? Your shuttin' up enough for the both of us." White-hot rage is emitting off of Grace at my lack of support. Suddenly I question whether or not I'm angry for a good reason.   
  
"Matthews." MacDonald barks breaking me away from my train of thought.   
  
"Yes, sir." I answer like a good little agent.  
  
"Is there any reason to suspect Morningside?" The question is meant to be a simple yes or no question. However it' loaded for me. Do I say no and keep my job but risk losing the one woman who has meant so much to me. Or do I say yes and risk losing my job but keep the one person who manages to always take my breathe away even when we're fighting or when she's all grungy.  
  
I pull in a deep breath and decide to just let whatever comes out come out. "No, sir." Forgive me Grace for I have betrayed you.  
  
"Sir, I request to stay behind with a small contingent of agents." Grace is just not giving up on this. I fear I may never see her again at work after today.   
  
"Denied" As if MacDonald was going to say anything else.  
  
"Then I request permission to stay behind alone." Why is she so sure about this? I know she doesn't like Kathy Morningside too much but this was overkill. But this was Grace and once she got an idea in her head she just didn't let go of it.  
  
"You know what? I don't care what you do. You wanna stay, stay... but as a private citizen. Turn in your badge and your gun. Alright everybody I suggest you start packing." The anger in MacDonald's voice couldn't be more evident.  
  
"What don't look at me like I betrayed you." Even though I did. I just can't stand to have those have expressive eyes trained on me like that. It hurts too much.  
  
"No, betrayal implies an action, you just stood there." The cold, hard facts sting as she shoots the words like daggers at my heart.  
  
"You got nothin' to go on." Yes she does, I tell myself. I know she does because I, myself, suspected Morningside at one point. I'm just trying to justify what I said earlier to myself and to her.  
  
" No, you know I know everyone thinks I'm a screw up, alright. But for the first time in my life I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time. And I have to protect those girls. It. Is. My. Job." Grace accentuates each of the last words. I see that she feels strongly about his but like she said before I am the job and I HAVE to keep that job so I can feel like I'm in the right place at the right time.  
  
"Fine. But part of doin' the job is followin' orders." I'm trying to get her to see the point from my side of the table, which is just useless.   
  
"But the other part of that job is usin' ya brain Eric. Take the rule book and just throw it out the window." She's trying to get me to see things from her side of the table now. We are in a no one -wins argument. I have had plenty of these with her. The problem is we're stubborn people and we're just going to but heads on some things.  
  
"I like the rule book, ok? I like knowing what I can and cannot do. Your not the only who lives his life for the job and I wanna keep mine for the next twenty to thirty years. Thank you very much. Jesus Heart, just give it a rest." It feels good to have finally said that out loud. I'm tired of catering to her needs. Yes this was a difficult op for her but my GOD it was for me too. It was my first in charge and she didn't do ANYTHING to help make it easier on me now did she? No I didn't think so.  
  
Grace is quiet as if contemplating something. "Yeah, give it a rest." She half-whispers. She bends down removing her badge and gun. Slowly she hands them to me.  
  
"Don't do it." I warn her but her mind is made up and there's nothing I can do to change it.   
********************** (scene extension)***********************  
  
  
I watch her put her hand on the door and feel an impulse to put all the cards on the table. "I know about McGuire."  
  
Grace whips around and glares at me. If looks could kill ....... " How? How do you know about that?" She's surprised to say the least. There's that look that someone gives you when you expose one of their secrets, you know it. It was written all over her face.  
  
"I heard you talkin' on your cell the first night we we're here. Something about him losing confidence in you and that you'd get the job done and that.......that you loved him." I hold my breathe waiting for her to throw something or scream but she does neither. She just stares at me. So I ask what has been plaguing me since I heard that conversation. " Do you, love him I mean?"  
  
There is a pause that hangs in the air like the proverbial elephant. It's there but you try to ignore it. Finally she answers, "No. If you absolutely must know, I'm subletting him my apartment and moving to San Francisco. I don't belong at the D.C. office so I put in a transfer and it went through. I was suppose to sign the papers this weekend but obviously I can't. So I told him to fax them over and I would get the job done here, not lose confidence in me. I said I love you because he's under the impression he's doing me some huge favor by subletting my apartment and said I should thank him properly. By saying those three small words I could never say when we were dating."  
  
My world tumbled out from underneath me. It was all innocent, I have been so stupid. "Grace I didn't know. I'm sorry, I was.... I was jealous." There I had finally said it. Now the ball was in her court, it was all up to her. My whole existence depended on what she said next.  
  
"Fuck you Eric Matthews, Fuck you." She said then turned and left. I collapsed on the bed and cried for the first time in three years.   



	14. Frank Tobin

A.N. Hey KELLY!!!! Okay there's a couple jokes in here only your going to get such as the alien thing but anyway it will make sense to everyone else, no worries.  
  
  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Frank Tobin  
  
"I checked out Kathy Morningside again like you had asked." The head of surveillance said. I decided after last night's 'episode' I should check out Morningside again if for nothing else to prove I had faith in Grace. I also called Marie my secretary and asked her tell me the whole Grace and McGuire story. Apparently, Grace had never really liked McGuire. She thought he was a nerd or rather alien as she had put it. And the few dates they had been on were to public places with mutual friends accompanying them, in fact Grace had even PAID Marie to go on a date with them. After a while Grace got tired of stringing him along and had dropped him. The guy cried and told her he loved her but Grace never said it back or took him back. Marie went so far to say she despised him and never wanted to talk to him again. Which is why Grace took it so hard when I insinuated she was in love with him.  
  
"Yeah anything?" I answer my colleague. We're unloading the SUV and carrying the stuff to the plane.  
  
"Nothing, not even a traffic ticket. Model citizen, beauty contestant, pageant director, loving mom." He listed off her many attributes. Wait, mom?  
  
"She's married?" I question, that's odd. Stuff like that never escapes my radar.  
  
"Widow, one son." The guy answers. It's obvious his attention is not on me but rather on the many heavy bags he will have to carry.  
  
"Sniveling, obsequious, excuse for a human being." Vic adds. That's weird, how does Vic know Kathy Morningside's son?  
  
"You know her son?" Sometimes the direct approach is simply the best approach.  
  
"So do you, it's Frank." Vic tells me and I go into a state of shock. Too many revelations too quick. First the citizen being captured, then the McGuire thing, now this.   
  
"Frank, her assistant Frank?" I have to be sure we're talking about the same Frank. Apparently my colleague has the same thought and asks, "Asshole Frank?"  
  
"One in the same." Vic says disdain for the man in question dripping off every word he says. My mind is reeling and I need to clarify my thoughts threw my words. I normally say what's on my mind anyway.  
  
"That's weird she never mentioned anything. Anything come up on the CCH?" I ask worried that maybe Grace was right and now she's in danger because I choose my job over her.   
  
"Nothing on Frank Tobin." My colleague informs me. He seems to be as confused as I am about this whole situation.  
  
"Well, there wouldn't be would there? His name's Morningside, he changed it to cover his many indiscretions." Vic continued as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. I on the other had had enough.  
  
"Wait a minute, wait a minute. How do you know that?" Enough was enough, if he was playin' me I needed to know right now. Because if he wasn't I needed to get back to Grace.  
  
"I have been around this pageant for many years, I could shock you with the intimate details I'm privy to." Vic tells me, he is deadly serious and I realize what an ass I have been. I NEED to see Grace, right now.  



	15. You're Drinking My Talent

Chapter Fifteen: Your Drinking My Talent  
  
Getting backstage had been fairly easy except for then embarrassing part. I could Vic for saying what he did but I'm here now and I need to protect Grace. I'd deal with Vic later. I'm waiting behind a curtain and suddenly Grace comes through. My breath catches in my throat as I take in the sight of her. Okay so the skirt thing looks ridiculous but the tank top part looks amazing on her. It's the sort of thing you would find in the lingerie department or at Victoria's Secret.  
  
'Hey Heart." I manage to squeeze out.  
  
"What are you doin' here?" On the offensive right away. Not that I can blame her, our last conversation was.... strained. I don't have time for this, not now anyway.  
  
"Listen to me, I think you may have been right. Frank is Kathy Morningside's son." I figure by telling her all the facts I could get on her good side, especially because I was agreeing with her.  
  
"Frank? What? Discustin', perverted Frank?" Grace's astonishment is as obvious and overwhelming as everyone else's.  
  
  
"He cleared under another name, I ran another CCH. He's got a wrap sheet, DUI, assault, even a weapons charge." I tell her as Vic runs to go get something. It's amazing even in the midst of all of this the man only has winning the crown on his mind.   
  
"What? Are we doing full deployment? What are we doin'?" Grace asks happy she was right. I'm happy too because it appears she has forgiven me for not trusting in her and that just makes my day.   
  
"MacDonald didn't want to hear about it. It's just us. We gotta go find Frank." By now Vic has come back and is dressing Grace for her talent. A woman I don't recognize pokes her head through the curtain.  
  
"Oh, here you are. Your up next New Jersey." The woman tells us.   
  
"I gotta go get my glasses." Grace states and we pass through the curtain to find several of the contestants drinking Grace's talent. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? Your drinking my talent!"  
  
Frantically, Grace licks her fingers and tries to produce the correct sounds for the correct glasses. I don't want to add to her worry but I have to ask, "What are you gonna do? You gotta make it into to top 5."  
  
"Can you whistle?" Vic, of course, has a list of things to do as talents. Thank you Vic.  
  
"No" Grace is frustrated, none of the glasses are producing the right sounds. I have my own frustrations right about now. Vic has me helping him button up Grace's shirt. Let's just suffice it to say it's been a long time since I slept with a woman who had this effect on me. Putting Grace's clothes on is planting ideas in my head.  
  
"Make hand puppets?" Vic tries again.  
  
"No."  
  
"I once had a girl who rearranged furniture." Vic is grasping at straws, damnit!  
  
"No, you said it. All I have is sarcasm and a gun." Grace is trying so hard.  
  
"Yeah that and a right hook." I realize I doomed myself before she smiles. That wasn't meant to be a suggestion.   



	16. "She's Kickin' His Ass!"

Chapter Sixteen: "She's kickin' his ass!"  
  
Grace walks onto the stage and I pray I will get away with only a fews cuts and bruises, maybe no broken bones. "Good evening. I know the program says I'm suppose to play the water glasses for you but, uh, some of the girls got dehydrated. The world is a dangerous place, like it or not. And I believe no woman should be without at least a basic knowledge of self-defense. So, uh, in order to show you this I'm gonna need a little help and I would like to bring out my assistant, Eric Bob."  
  
Here goes nothing. I just hope she'll be gentle. The audience applause and I slowly, warily walk on stage.   
  
"I'm going to show you how to attack sensitive areas to produce maximum damage with the least amount of force. Okay, in some cases your attacker may come at you in a, uh, frontal assault." Grace continued. As she finished she turned and motioned that I should come at her. I do and she slams her hand into my nose. Immediately my hands fly up to my face. Pain shoots through my body. I look up at her with her hint of a smile on her face. Grace mouths one word, McGuire. Damnit, I am such an idiot and now I'm going to pay for it.  
  
"Use the heel of your hand and thrust it upward. This will cause the nose to break and you assailant's eyes to tear. Giving you a chance to get away." Grace does a Vannah White and shows my pain to the whole world.  
  
"Alright, let's say your assailant comes at you from behind." Grace poses and I leave her hanging. I'm no machosist, I don't like pain. Grace turns angry and I whisper "What?"  
  
She whispers back, "Attack me!" I make a confused face and Grace turns with a mischevious smirk on her face. "Oh, wittle Erwic is a wittle bit scwared. Maybe he needs a wittle bit of appwause. Yeah, Erwic." Public embarrassment, the pain was better.  
  
She flips be forward after I attack her. After showing a few more very painful demonstrations, Grace says "Now if all else fails go for the four sensitive parts of the body. Just remember to sing. S-I-N-G." I wrap my arms around her from behind and she hits my stomach as she says, "Solar plexus." Then she steps on my foot and says, "Instep." She proceeds to smash my nose and says, "Nose." Finally, Grace hits me where no guy likes to be hit and says, "Groin. Sing."  
  
We scamper offstage and I'm glad she got that out of her system because as far as I know, now I'm forgiven.   



	17. Icepack

Chapter Seventeen: Icepack  
  
My neck is so sore that I go retrieve an icepack for it before I return to where Grace and Vic are. I needed, no we need to find Frank now. And I say so as soon as I return, "Alright, let's go find Frank."  
  
"Okay, you take stage left. I'll take this side." Grace says as she tries to run off.  
  
"No, evening gown now." Vic says taking off to go find the dress.\  
************************ (scene extension)************************  
I shuffle my feet and look down at them to keep my mind off the pain. Oh, yeah I was gonna have bruises. I look up to see Grace string at me with a small smile barely concealed on her face.  
  
She tries to look concerned and is failing miserably, "Oh you poor baby. You got beat up by a girl." She pouts her lips and I'm mesmerized by their appearance. I must have been staring because she laughs a little. Grace leans forward and slides a hand down my cheek. My skin is on fire with desire, her lips are just too damn close. I lean in a little. I look in Grace's eyes and swear I see desire that mirrors my own. She shakes her head a little. She plants a small kiss on my cheek.  
  
"Catch the bas guy Matthews, its what your good at. I'm counting on you." She whispers before sprinting after Vic.  
  
  
  
  
  
(Sorry this is short guys! The next one will be short tooo!)   
  



	18. Beauty

Chapter Eighteen: Beauty  
  
I've been searching these catwalks for nearly half an hour and my body is still sore from my 'fight' with Grace earlier onstage. I decide to sit down and scoop things out from up here. I have a clear view of all the contestants. The top ten are lined up and ready to find out who those lucky five are. I notice Grace is not paying attention but that doesn't matter anymore. She has a good excuse. She's scanning face for possible threats and for Frank. Her name gets called and my heart swells with pride.   
  
Absentmindedly, I let my fingers brush against where she kissed me. A goofy smile spreads across my face and I find myself speaking aloud, "You go Gracie Lou." SHE kissed ME. That would put a smile on any guys face and knowing I have her trust back makes my heart swell and my smile grow wider. Looking at her right now I get poetic and think she personifies the word beauty. Time to go find Frank.  



	19. THE Kiss

Chapter Nineteen: THE Kiss  
  
I finish giving my statement to the police and I make my way over to Grace who has put Kathy Morningside in a squad car. Grace is screaming something that sounds like, "Enjoy running in the San Antonio Women's Correctional Facility Pageant! Huh?"  
  
I laugh on the inside, always with her odd sense of humor. Even in life and death situations Grace maintained a healthy sense of humor. She notices me and turns to me laughing and snorting. "Get it Women's Correctional facility?"  
  
I step up real close. It's amazing how gorgeous she still looks even though she just was just in a bombing. Her face isn't smudged with dirt like mine is neither is her dress. My suit is filthy. "Grace. That was good work."  
  
Maybe it's just my imagination but when I step close her laughter subsides and she's staring at me. If I didn't know better I'd say I had an affect on her. "Oh, right back at ya." Her words a slow and dazed as if she's been drugged. She straightens up and says, "So, uh, how does it feel throwin' the ol' rule book out the window, huh?"  
  
Not what I was expecting her to say still it's better than nothing. "Pretty good actually."  
  
"Yeah?" she asks as we begin to walk.  
  
"Listen I was thinkin' you know when we get back to the city and write up our reports and you get all ugly again." I can hear her disapproval at my calling her ugly but I needed to maintain my own humor to get this next sentence out. "I dunno, maybe we could have dinner, ya know?" I haven't looked at her since we started walking, afraid that if I saw mocking, laughter or pity in her ever expressive eyes I would die.  
  
"What? Are you like askin' me out on a date?" Her tone is a bit teasing but that's just masking the insecurity you could faintly make out.  
  
"No. Just a casual dinner." My own insecurities evident in my voice. I hear mutter a "huh" and I decide to shock her. "If we happen to have sex afterward then so be it."  
  
I finally turn and face her. I expected to find disgust written on her face but instead I find...... is that intrigue? A slow smile spreads her lips and she begins taunting me with a song that makes me think she really does find this invite funny. I recognize the song as a slight variation of the one she sang me before.  
  
"You think I'm gorgeous, you wanna date me, love me, and marry me." I turn way with a fake grin on my face. I feel heartbroken yet not so much as if I hadn't said anything at all. I feel a tug on my arm and my greatest wish has been granted.  
  
Grace's soft, smooth lips are on mine in a slow and sweet yet seductive kiss. It's a short kiss and she pulls back looking into my eyes to see if that was okay. My eyes more than eagerly tell her that was quite all right. She pulls me back in for another explosive kiss. This one is more animal and fillede with pure passion and desire. THIS is what I have always felt for Grace, pure animal desire but the first kiss. The first kiss is what I have grown to feel. I have a name for that feeling now. LOVE.  



	20. Goodbye

A.N. This is the last chapter, I hope you all enjoyed!!!!! My next project is a So Weird fic, Jack/Annie. Peace out!  
  
Chapter Twenty: Goodbye  
  
"You gotta admit a part of you is gonna miss this." I tell Grace, my girlfriend Grace. The night before we talked until Dawn and then made out until it was time to check out. I smiled at just the memory of it.  
  
"I know I'm gonna miss the heels because they do something for my posture. Suddenly I'm very aware and proud of my breasts." Grace tells me smiling, I hope it's because she's remembering last night too. We are walking out to our cab.  
  
" That's funny, me too." I shot back. She looks at me smiling and chuckling softly. Vic runs out of the hotel rambling something about the girls being in danger. We, of course, run back inside.  
  
The goodbye breakfast is going on as the three of us walk in. Grace protests but we get her up there. She gives a nice speech and I know she is going to miss these. My Miss Congeniality is actually in tears over something girlie. This is one for the record books.  
  
**************************( Scene Extension)************************  
  
We walk hand in hand out to the cab that will take us to the airport. I received a call from MacDonald when Grace was in the shower. He said the charges against Grace had been dropped due to 'extenuating circumstances'. I just told and she was the happiest I'd ever seen her.   
  
"Grace, I need to ask you something." My tone is serious because this is the one 'loose end' that could come between us.   
  
"What is it, sweetie?" Grace turns to face me and wraps her arms around my waist. She rests her chin on my chest and smiles up at me.  
  
"Are you still moving to San Francisco?" I know she can tell this means a lot to me, our relationship I mean. I wrap my own arms around her shoulders breathing in her clean hair. She has moved her head to the side in order to think. Her cheek now rests on my chest so I rest my chin on her head.  
  
She sighs then turns to face me again, I leave her little room with her face as close to mine as possible without kissing her. "No. You make me feel like I belong and that's all I need." She's smiling at me and I can't help but smile back. I lean in and capture her lips with my own. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.  
  
  
  
THE END!  



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